The Crow's Call
by Tecknologic
Summary: Having fallen victim to the powers of corporate greed, political corruption, and murderous gangs, Michael seeks serendipity in the Literature club. He's welcomed with ostensibly open arms, only to find the club is replete with despair.
1. Chapter 1

**If you've come here for a happy story filled with jubilance, romance or beatification, you've come to the wrong place. What you're going to read is not for the light-hearted, filled with perfidy, cupidity, and austereness. It is likely to contain dark scenes including death, murder, corruption, and pretty much anything you don't want to think about. Head this warning and brace yourself or leave.**

 **Key:**

 **{Anything inside these brackets is what Michael's thinking.}**

 **[These are for anyone else's thoughts, it will be made clear in the story]**

 **'Simply a quote, a dialogue'**

 _Michael is often perceived as a cold, emotionless person, often being mistreated because of it. All the students at school hated him, writing on his desk, shoving him in the halls and telling him to meet them after school with harmful intent. He, of course, would never show, earning even more trouble the next day. Most people would be miserable in this situation, but Michael wasn't even fazed, all he cared about was going home to his loving family._

'I'm home!' Michael shouts to his gleeful mother, Elizabeth. 'Hey, Michael, dinner will be done soon, and Jamie needs you in the backyard.' Liz says 'On my way!' Michael shouts loud enough so Jamie can hear. 'Michael, please, no need to yell.' 'Sorry' Michael apologizes. He heads to the backyard where he sees Jamie working on what appears to be a picnic table. 'Hey, sport, give your old man a hand and hold this for me, will ya?' Michael holds the board so that it can be drilled in place. 'I thought we could use a picnic table every once in a while, you know how much your mother loves them.' Michael smiles, remembering all the picnics they've all had together. Jamie hands Michael the drill and holds a board in place. Michael drills the pilots and puts in the screws. They do this for all the other boards. 'Would you look at that?' Jamie gloats 'Are we going to paint it?' 'Tomorrow. It looks like it's about to rain. Here. Help me put a tarp on it.' He says, handing Michael some bungees. They put the tarp on and head inside.

'Dinner's done!' Liz had already finished preparing the table, so the boys sit down, thanking Liz for the meal. Shortly after, _Liz_ sits down, and asks Michael 'How was school?' 'Filled with derisive and acrimonious diatribe.' Michael replies. Liz sighs, glad relieved the bullying hasn't worsened. She straightens herself, excited to tell the boys her plan to help Michael with his bullying issue. 'I think you'll be glad to hear I found something that I think might help.' 'The infinity gauntlet?' Michael immediately replies. 'Uh, no, I found an afterschool program for you, the Literature club!' Liz exclaims 'School's the root of the problem, why would I want to continue to stay there?' Michael instantly criticizes. 'Don't worry, I talked to the members and all of them are really nice, the area is quiet and they are all really good friends, so it's a healthy environment for you, it's perfect!' Liz says persuasively. Michael, realizing that Liz put in a lot of effort, finally accepts her offer. 'Okay, I'll check it out, but no promises.' 'That's good enough for me.' She says merrily. And so, the happy family enjoyed their dinner, filled with chatter and good-hearted jokes.

* * *

*Meep Meep Meep Meep Meep*

'Alright, I'm up.' Michael says, muting the alarm. After he stretches for a bit, he proceeds to head to the bathroom, freshening up before breakfast. 'Breakfast will be done in a few minutes!' Liz tells him. 'Okay, I'm almost done!' After finishing up, he heads downstairs. He sees the table set with two plates and Liz putting the food on them. 'Where's Jamie's plate?' 'Oh, he had to go to work early today, it's just me and you this morning.' Liz said still as jubilant as before. 'Oh, okay…' Michael says, slightly dejected. 'What's wrong, am I not good enough?' Liz says jokingly. 'Nothing like that, I just like when it's all of us…' Liz noticed he was going to say more, but doesn't pester him. They both sit down and enjoy their relatively silent breakfast. They both clean up the table and work together on the dishes. Once Michael fully prepared for school, he hugs Liz goodbye and heads to school.

 _At school, you can almost always look at Michael and see him lost in thought, almost always pondering a new scientific theory. Normally, if a student were not paying attention, he or she would suffer some form of consequence, but Michael's case was special. He was luminary, above what was being taught, so the teachers never bothered him. They let him think, hoping this would allow him to grow into something amazing._

 _Despite his tendency to get lost in his cogitations, he always makes sure to listen at the end of class, so that he doesn't miss the teacher's recapitalization, just in case there is an assignment. In doing so, he is often able to complete his project before his commute home. Today there happens to be no assignments, leaving Michael to his thoughts once again._

* * *

In seemingly no time, school's over. 'Huh, that's funny, I don't even remember eating lunch. Well, time to go home... Oh~ yeah~, the Literature Club. I think that's room C-3…' Michael heads to said room to find that his memory did indeed serve him right. Michael simply walks in and looks for the person Michael thinks is most "president-Like." As a result, he ended up waltzing to the unsuspecting young woman with hazelnut hair and iridescent, green eyes. 'Hello, you're the president, Monika, right? My mother, Liz was here yesterday…' Michael says. 'Oh my goodness, I totally forgot we expecting a new member today, you must be Michael, right? 'Yeah' Michael says, mumbling about how he never said he would join. 'What was that?' 'Nothing' 'O~kay then, in any case, let me introduce you to the rest of the club members.' She points to the shortest girl, she happens to have almost neon pink hair, and eyes to match. 'This is Natsuki, the baker of the club…' Next, she gestures to the tallest person in the club, a young woman with a shy demeanor, long purple hair, and… eyes to match. 'This is Yuri, the classiest in the club' She then directs Michael's attention to the most beatific person Michael's ever seen, a young woman with pink hair, and blue eyes. 'This is Sayori, the club's sunshine' Sayori beams in response. Monika then introduces the only other male in the room, a plaintive-looking guy with brown hair and amber eyes. 'And last but not least, this is Tom, our…' Tom immediately looks dejected, but quickly turns it around with a quip response. 'I'm the advisor obviously.' He jokes 'I listen to everyone's rants, whether they're looking for advice or just need to vent, I'm here to listen.' He says, is a more serious tone. 'Yeah, and together, we make the Literature Club.' Monika finishes.

All of the members smile with an amount of sincerity that leaves Michael nonplussed. After their little scene, they begin to sit at a conglomeration of tables, forming one larger table. 'What are you waiting for? Come on.' Monika says, gesturing to the only seat left unattended, the one next to her. For any normal person, this wouldn't be a problem, however; Michael was a great many things, and normal is not one of them. 'Uh, o-kay...' He finally takes his seat, moving his chair over nonchalantly, giving him some extra move. Unfortunately, Monika ended up scooting over in order to give Natsuki room to put the cupcakes in the center, resulting in the two being elbow to elbow.

Natsuki passes out cupcakes as Yuri offers tea to everyone. 'Is this something that you guys always do?' Michael questions. Monika answers 'Only when we expect a new member' 'Oh~' Michael replies, leaving an awkward silence. Michael sits comfortably, unaware of the awkward scene he had created. Eventually, Natsuki breaks the ice, 'Well, are you guys going to try the cupcakes or what?' In response, everyone then takes a bite, showering Natsuki with accolade afterward. They began complementing anything from the cute little book designs to the one of a kind flavor.

After their hearty snack, Michael is left to watch as the members head to their bags, each of them removing a single piece of paper. Michael, unaware of the purpose of their actions, simply continues to observe them. He notices a tension in their actions, causing him to believe they're uncomfortable with their actions. Still unsure, Michael continues to follow them as they begin swapping papers. Michael immediately realizes they're reviewing each other's poems. As Michael doesn't have a poem, he finds it best to just sit tight as they complete their activity.

Eventually, Monika realizes, no one clued Michael in about what was going on. She walks over from her desk. 'Oh my goodness, no one told you what we're doing, you're really easy to forget about, you know that?' 'Just kidding' 'I don't have any poems on me.' Michael replies, unamused. 'O-Oh, O-kay, well then… I guess I'll just…' Monika gesture to the other members. 'Okay,' Michael replies, understanding that she means she's going to continue sharing her poems.

Finally, everyone finishes reading their poems, and Monika sends everyone home. 'Hey, you're coming back right? … I never really asked if you're joining…' Monika asks, suddenly shy. 'Yeah, seems nice, I'll be back.' Michael replies confidently. 'Oh, good! I was worried I rubbed you the wrong way because you weren't talking much and I made a few mistakes… and…' Michael, sensing this is a soft spot of hers, gives her some consolation. 'Don't worry, you did fine. I just talk don't much.' 'Oh, okay, well then, see you tomorrow.' Monika replies, smiling warmly. Michael simply responds with a relaxed and improper salute (American) in place of a wave.

* * *

 _Michael walks home, following the silent, and eerie road, listening to the leaves crush beneath his feet. The ground is barren, the sky is stark, the crisp wind is cold and the path looks bleak. Michael puts on his hood and continues walking until he reaches the Tree of Broken Sorrows. He listens as the crows caw, the sky darkens and the air whistles._

 _Many things contribute to what makes something frightening. Temperature, noise, lighting, population, and location all affect the emotion of an environment. And because of this, fall is often considered scary, or frightening, and is the reason there are many myths and urban legends about crows. The crow is most often pictured in fall, typically on a barren tree, representing a particularly unfortunate and portent event. The crow is so often considered a bad omen, that a group of crows is called a "murder," a word Michael is familiar with all too well._

* * *

'How was the club?' Liz questions. 'Ehh, it was alright, it's peaceful and from what I can tell, the people are nice enough.' Michael replies. 'Are you going to join?' 'Yeah, why not?' His parents, happy that their son is engaging in interpersonal activities, celebrate. They order pizza, Michael's favorite food, engaging in chipper conversation, filled with a bombardment of questions aimed at poor ol' Michael.

After their exuberant dinner, they all get ready for bed, except for Michael that is, he still has to write a poem.

'O-kay, what should I write about?'

* * *

 **A/N: Okay, that was chapter one. In case you were wondering, I am stopping progress on the other stories, sorry.**


	2. Original (Nerfed) Chapter 1

**A/N: I had already written this but decided to scrap it. I didn't post in a while because my studies are time-consuming, so I decided to post what the chapter was at first. I thought maybe you guys would be interested. In any case, I present to you, the original chapter 1.**

The life of Michael Marksman was never spectacular and never say anything much for an improvement. His high school teacher knew this all too well. In an attempt to help him through his seemingly perennial perdition, she sent him to the most loving and caring place she knew, the literature club.

'Why?' he said. 'Because you need some good in your life, before it you tear yourself apart.' his teacher, Ms. Johnson replied. He looked at the crow beside the window in contemplation. 'Okay, I'll go', 'thank you' she sighs in relief. Michael wordlessly walked to the anathema his teacher called 'Social Interaction'.

Monika was the president of the club and had been preparing for the new member's arrival. 'Okay, Everyone, Ms. Johnson said we had to be nice and be very understanding so we don't scare him off. She says what exactly, she just said that his past is not for the faint of heart. So no prying, okay?' The other members agreed information as if they were her soldiers. As if on cue, the doors open very slowly, and with caution while Michael carefully analyzes every aspect of the club room and its members in search of danger. Once satisfied, he entered with celerity, analyzing everyone further this time without searching for anything in particular. 'Hi, I'm Monika, the president of the club and this is Natsuki, Yuri, Sayori and Tom' She pointed to each member respectively. Michael waves. 'As I am confident you already know, I'm Michael Marksman, you can call me Michael, Mike, Mark or Marksman; I don't really care. I am probably the most introverted and anomalous person you ever meet. I am misanthropic and read college textbooks for fun. I already have an associate's in Mechanical Engineering. And now I will now answer any of your questions with information that may or may not be true, so I can get on with plaintive life. None? Good.'

'Why do they have oddly colored hair?' Michael said gesturing to Yuri, Natsuki, and Sayori. 'I-Is-Isn't t-that a little insensitive?' Monika, now flabbergasted, stutters, which the others found entertaining. 'Sorry, sensitivity isn't my strong suit… … … Why do they have Japanese names if they clearly aren't Japanese?' 'That's racist and offensive!' Monika replies now frustrated at his fractious behaviors. 'Are you Japanese?' Michael inquires. 'No?' she replies now perplexed. 'Who are you to decide when if it is racist or offensive? You also implied that it's offensive to all Japanese, isn't it a little racist to assume all Japanese people would react the same way to a particular comment? I honestly don't know.' Michael retorted he doesn't have any reviling tone, just asking as if it were a normal question. Perhaps because of this, and Ms. Johnson's warning, Monika remains calm on the surface. 'What'd I do?' Everyone just stares at him dumbfounded. Michael begins to head for the door. 'Where do you think you're going?' Monika immediately realizes that sounded a lot more threatening than she would have liked. Michael, having already planned two escape routes, immediately decides the open window would be the best escape given the fact Monika's close to the door. Michael bolts to the door with an unfathomable speed. So much so in fact, papers literally flew off the teacher's desk. Monika looks out the window to see he's gone, unsurprisingly given his celerity.

Michael then proceeds to run to Ms. Johnson. He realizes that Monika could anticipate this, but he was confident he would be able to outrun her, despite knowing about her 'official' reputation as the fastest runner in school. In short, let's just say he trained, a lot, one hour, every day, for the past decade. He slowed down before he got inside so he could sneak in. He made sure to keep his breathing under control, which was something he was skilled at thanks to his training. By the time he got to Ms. Johnson, Michael realized two things, 1: He may have misconstrued Monika and 2: His ankles hurt from jumping from the second story window. He did finish off with a combat roll, but landing at five thousand Joules is not fun. He figured that he was falling for about a second, he knew he jumped from about six meters and he is about 80 kilos, with that he knows his feet hit the floor with about 1,100 newtons. He figured he should be fine considering at 6.2 kN there is a 50% of a Calcaneal fracture and remembers reading somewhere that it takes a million Newton meters to break a tibia and roughly assuming weigh is equal to 60kg and you knees where bent correctly a human tibia is capable of sustaining structural integrity from 87m, not counting air resistance. Considering the diversity of the human species, this number is essentially arbitrary, but enough to tell him, he should have no broken bones… in theory… reality is another matter. He knows how to land properly and he made special modifications to his shoes specifically for high impact jumping. In any case, he's in the classroom now, and to his uncertainty, he sees Monika. He decides to do some recon while he's here.

'I didn't realize he's so easy to scare' 'Yeah if he doesn't trust you, any sign of aggression, in body language, tone, and even your thoughts, let alone such a threatening choice of words, he runs. Honestly, I have no Idea how he runs so fast and even jumps from so high with no injury.' 'You mean he's done this before?' 'Oh yeah, plenty of times. It's because he doesn't realize his questions can be offensive. You see… if it isn't 100% logical, he doesn't understand or sometimes completely ignores it. Doesn't matter what it is. Because of this, he often gets into trouble and always runs in the end. He says it's because he hates fighting, so he runs.' 'Why does he hate fighting?' 'He's told me many very personal things, but that is still something he refuses to talk about.'

Michael, having decided Monika at the very least, currently, is not a threat, he emerges from the shadows. 'Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean it as a threat in any way.' Monika says in such a contrite matter that, Michael, a normally emotionless person, feels guilty. 'What are you sorry for, you didn't do anything wrong, I simply misconceived your intentions, besides no one was hurt, so no harm was done. Nothing to apologize for.' Ms. Johnson, now finding herself in quandary, replies 'I've never seen you so sincere, Michael' 'No guilty party has ever apologized in such a genuine and heartwarming matter, let alone one completely innocent.' 'So, friends?' Monika asks in an almost pleading manner, leaving Michael curious as to why she has attached such importance to her interpersonal skills. Before he can give an honest response, he must finish his trust evaluation…leaving Monika to her mind overfilling with anxiety. Michael sensing this quickens his evaluation in an attempt to relive her from the cruelty of her thoughts. After a disquieting period of time, he announces his evaluations.

A/N: Just pretend the following passage is heartwarming.

'I deduce you are an anxious person. Probably due to an unwanted pressure of high expectations, likely from your parents. You've been the recipient of many accolades, but are still left unsatisfied. You have excellent morals and ethics, maybe a little too strong, blindingly so. You have many "friends" but only trust and like a few. You are great at evaluating people. In conclusion, I find you a trustworthy person, now having been able to complete my analysis and can accept your inquisition for commensuration of trust and the reciprocal predilection of support with jubilance and it is a great honor to grow rapprochement with such an eminent and voracious person as yourself. I thank you, such a quintessential person, for wishing a synergy with a curmudgeon such as myself.' Michael notices the two beginning to tear up. 'What are you doing? Did I say something insensitive again? Ms. Johnson?' Michael looks at his teacher. 'Come here, you little rascal.' His teacher instructs arms open wide. Michael, realizing this is that emotion thing, obliges, to engage in a hug. He was extremely surprised to notice Monika joining in for a hug, and yelps, in consequence, hushing it so she doesn't notice.

'Ugh, where are they?' Natsuki complains. 'Now, now, I'm sure they'll be here soon' Yuri says in an attempt to placate Natsuki. 'I wonder why he ran, Monika didn't say anything wrong, in fact, he was the one that started the argument.' Tom said. 'I think that's what Ms. Johnson was trying to warn us about. I think he didn't realize how It could have been taken the wrong way.' Yuri replies. 'Hmph! Well, I don't like him.' Natsuki retorts. The door opens and reveals Michael 'Voilà! In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of Fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is a vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished. However, this valorous visitation of a bygone vexation stands vivified and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin vanguarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition. The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose, so let me simply add that it is my very good honor to meet you and you may call me V.' All 'Huh?' 'I thought a little comedy would be in order, but none of you know the reference apparently. It's the 'V' speech from 'V for Vendetta'. I think an apology is in order, your once bucolic haven was disturbed by me. Proving to be nettlesome; I now show my repentance with my veracious vow, once the villain, I now vindicate myself of being a vicious and virulent vermin by vanquishing that view with a votive, not in vain, a value to veer you with my valorous vow to rid you of visitation of a bygone vexation with a virtuous virtuoso. Verily, this verbiage veers most prolix, so let me clarify. I promise to redouble my efforts to be absolved for any inadvertent diatribe I may have inflicted. I hope to prove to you I am not fractious and wish to earn a synergy filled with dynamism. It's a pleasure and an honor to meet all of you, I am Michael Marksman, but you may call me Michael, Mike or Mark, whichever you prefer.' Michael said dogmatically, not really, 'Your vocabulary itinerary is not impressive' Tom replied in a defensive manner. 'You used two nouns right next to each other, and you used itinerary incorrectly.' Is what Michael wanted to say, but he didn't. He kept his mouth shut as per Monika's advice, or 'Social skill of the day' as she called, and then Michael realized just how much bravado that actually portrays, and hence the paradigm shift in his opinion of her, again.


End file.
